A State Supreme Court justice has ruled that a lender can foreclose the Hungerford Building, once a hub of artist studios that anchored the monthly First Friday citywide gallery night.
The judge awarded a judgement to Elizon Transfer DB LLC, which had filed a complaint against Staten Island-based developer Peter Hungerford and principal of the LLC that owns the Hungerford, and his company PH Realty in September alleging that Hungerford had defaulted on his loan.
Hungerford did not immediately return a request for comment.
Hungerford purchased the building in 2022 using a mortgage of roughly $8.2 million. At the time Elizon initiated the foreclosure proceeding, he owed about $7.6 million, according to court records.
Hungerford received his first notice of default in March 2024, according to filings in the case. He received two more April and June 2024, respectively. He then reached an agreement which pushed the loan’s maturity date to December 2024. He defaulted again, with notices issued in April and July 2025.
Supreme Court Justice Daniel Doyle issued a judgement in Elizon's favor on May 7. Hungerford is to relinquish all rights to the property and return it to Elizon. A referee will determine how much is owed to Elizon, and whether the property could be broken into parcels for sale.
Built in 1900 as a manufacturer of flavored syrups used in candies and sodas, the Hungerford Building had a second life as a thriving enclave of Rochester artists, known for its vibrant First Friday events and eclectic mix of tenants.
The building fell into a state of rapid decay after Hungerford bought it — he's a distant relative of the building’s original owner, J. Hungerford Smith. Water damage, litter, and homeless encampments are just some of the documented problems in the building.
The building currently has 36 code violations, 21 of which are health and safety related, according to city property records. It has been cited for expired elevator certifications, broken doors, and failure to obtain a certificate of occupancy, among other things. The certificate of occupancy expired in April 2025 and has not been renewed.
Most tenants had already left or been evicted from the building by the time Elizon filed the complaint.
